The BEST Muffins in the World

I love muffins! Blueberry, banana nut, chocolate, you name it, I'm sure I'll love it! The reason I love this recipe so much is because you get to be creative, and the possibilities are endless!

(pictured L-R, Chocolate chocolate chip, banana, and Pumpkin)

My younger sister took a foods class in college and this recipe was one that she brought home to share.  It is just your basic plain muffin, but you get to add whatever you want to make it yours :)  You can't get better than that now, right!?!

Basic Muffins

Yield 6 muffins (when you add stuff to them, you can easily get 9-12 muffins per batch)

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 egg

First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Line your muffin pans with liners or spray with nonstick spray.  

Stir together the dry ingredients.  Stir in milk, egg, and oil.  Stir 12-16 strokes, pour into muffin tins.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

This is where you get creative :)

Add-ins:

3/4 cup Rolled Oats

2/3 cup brown sugar (omit the white sugar when adding this)

Substitute whole wheat flour

1/3 cup shredded cheese

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

reduce sugar to 2 tbsp

(yes it really is delicious!)

This one is a favorite!

1 chopped apple

1/2 cup apple juice concentrate

reduce sugar to 2 tbsp

omit milk

(I always add a bit of apple pie spice or cinnamon and nutmeg - YUM!)

2 tsp Poppy Seeds

1/2 tsp lemon extract  or 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon

2 tsp poppy seeds

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

replace flour with:

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Any of the following:

1/4 cup blueberries, washed and dried

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped apple (or 1/2 cup applesauce)

1 mashed banana

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup coconut

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

You can reduce sugar to 2 tbsp with any of these add-ins if you are trying to cut back, the flavor is still wonderful!

Crumb topping:

1 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp flour

Stir until crumbly, sprinkle on muffins right before baking.

I'd love to hear the combinations you come up with.  Try it out and post your personalized muffin favorites :)